Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Morning Light Blu-ray Movie Review

Another stirring documentary lands on Blu-ray...

Spanning a distance of 2,225 miles between California's Point Fermin and Hawaii's Diamond Head shores, the internationally-celebrated Transpacific Yacht Race (Transpac for short) is one of the oldest, most illustrious nautical competitions in existence. Closely followed by sailing enthusiasts the world over, the race is a grueling test of endurance and skill that requires its entrants' full determination and unflinching commitment. In 1999, senior Walt Disney executive and Morning Light producer Roy Disney's boat, Pyewacket, set a world record by completing the turbulent trek in less than seven days and twelve hours. In 2005, that record was shattered by a German boat christened the Morning Light. The time? Just over six days and sixteen hours. Not to be outdone, Roy Disney purchased the record-setting boat with a single goal in mind: to assemble, train, and sponsor the youngest crew in Transpac history. The acclaimed 2008 documentary Morning Light documents the fruits of his labor.

You don't need to be familiar with sailing or the Transpac race to enjoy 'Morning Light'

Working from a list of 538 talented applicants, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Robbie Haines, College Sports Television producer and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Leslie DeMeuse, and Disney himself whittled the enthusiastic hopefuls down to thirty finalists. From there, the group was halved into the fifteen young men and women who would go on to train for and enter the 44th Transpac race: Jeremy Wilmot, Chris Clark, Jesse Fielding, Kate Theisen, Chris Branning, Steve Manson, Charlie Enright, Graham Zawadzki, Chris Welch, Robbie Kane, Kit Will, Chris Schubert, Genny Tulloch, Pieter van Os, and Mark Towill. The oldest member of the team? 23. The youngest? A bright-eyed, bushy-tailed 18. They're pushed to their physical and emotional limits over the course of six months of intense training, they learn and unlearn everything necessary to successfully participate in the daunting competition, and come hull to hull with an assortment of experienced veterans all too eager to take advantage of the unseasoned Transpac rookies. Through it all, they face adversity, hardship, and exhaustion, and discover a greatness within themselves they didn't realize was there.

To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy Morning Light in the slightest. I've never stepped foot on a yacht (much less dreamed of racing across the Pacific Ocean), sailing has always struck me more as a hobby than a sport, and I haven't considered myself anything but a full-fledged landlubber since I lost a banana-yellow Hawaiian Punch inflatable raft to the ocean when I was five. But like any great documentary, director Mark Monroe's film transcends its subject matter and focuses on something broader and more universal than sailing or the 44th Transpac: the drive and indomitable might of the human spirit. Watching the young competitors battle their way to the top, only to falter and fail throughout their rigorous training regiment, is absorbing to say the least. Watching them overcome their own weaknesses to succeed in ways they never dreamed possible is enthralling. Granted, sailing fanatics will inevitably get more out of the documentary than casual viewers or newcomers like myself, but I was quite taken with its pacing, interviews with team members and trainers (among other experts and professionals), and inspiring look at the efforts of a group of veritable underdogs. Give it a try: you might be as surprised as I was.

Morning Light Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bound by the inherent limitations of its many video sources (which include high definition cameras, traditional film stock, standard definition video, and low-quality archive footage, among others), Morning Light's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer looks about as good as a weathered, fast-n-frantic high seas documentary could be expected to look. Skintones are relatively natural throughout, colors are suitably vibrant, blacks are generally well resolved, and detail, while inconsistent, is fairly impressive. Still, artifacting, source noise, and other technical oddities continually plague the image: clean shots are few and far between, and hazy scenes, while forgivable, are a regular occurrence. It doesn't help that distracting droplets of water splash across the lens every time the ride gets bumpy or a storm rolls in. Don't get me wrong, ninety percent of the transfer's shortcomings should be attributed to the original footage, not the technical proficiency of the transfer. That being said, it's impossible to tell where source discrepancies end and encoding errors begin. Ultimately, documentary fans and, really, anyone with appropriate expectations will shrug their shoulders and sink right in.

Morning Light Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The same should be said about Disney's faithful but uneven DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Dialogue is at the mercy of the waves: prioritization is passable, but only so far as the audio engineers are able to retain the clarity of individual sounds. Pouring rain, booming thunder, creaking wood, powerful winds, and blaring seaside music all take a crack at overwhelming the young racers' voices. At the same time, LFE support and rear speaker activity is commendable. Hearing the Morning Light slam against the water provides a visceral rush, while cawing seabirds, persistent ocean spray, and rustling sails help create an immersive soundfield. Fidelity takes a dive anytime lesser audio sources take the stage, but anyone who's familiar with a documentary of this nature won't be distracted. All things considered, Morning Light's DTS-HD MA track is a reliable one. It may not boast the most startling sonics to ever cross the seas, but it should keep audiences involved in the race's every exciting development.

Morning Light Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray edition of Morning Light includes two special features: Stories from the Sea, a solid, 29-minute look at the race and the production with crew members, trainers, and the documentarians who captured it all on film, and Making the Cut, a lively, 42-minute ESPN special that digs into what the finalists had to do to earn a spot on the team. It doesn't amount to much, but considering the nature of the production, it makes for a decent supplemental package.

Morning Light Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Morning Light is an unexpected treat. What I thought would be a bland niche title, turned out to be a rousing adventure across the Pacific with a group of young hopefuls determined to make something of themselves. While the Blu-ray edition struggles a bit with the film's source materials, it nevertheless features a proficient video transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio track. Don't let this captivating documentary pass you by in the night.